US2708145A - Hinge bracket and brace for table legs and the like - Google Patents

Description

y 10, 1955 E- w. ANDERSON ETAL 2,708,145

HINGE BRACKET AND BRACE FOR TABLE LEGS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 23. 1953 United States Patent fii ce 2,708,145 Patented May 10, 1955 HINGE BRACKET AND BRACE FOR TABLE LEGS AND THE LIKE Enfred W. Anderson and Arvid J. Anderson, Norway, Mich.

Application September 23, 1953, Serial No. 381,812

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-77) This invention appertains broadly to collapsible tables of the type commonly referred to as card tables, and more particularly to a folding leg structure for tables of any desired character, and is an improvement over our Patent No. 2,621,992 issued to us December 16, 1952.

One of the primary objects of our present invention is to provide an improved, combined latch and brace structure for tables of the type in which the legs are hinged inwardly from the edge of the table and diverge outwardly from the table when they are in their open position to form a wide, stable base, the latch bar utilized to hold a leg in its open position functioning as a brace between its leg and the skirt of the table.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a pivoted latch bar and brace normally held in longitudinal alignment with its leg, when the leg is in a collapsed position against the table top and movable outwardly automatically to its latching and bracing position by the mere opening of the leg, the outer end of the latch extending beyond the inner end of its leg and the pivot point thereof for engagement with the table to swing the latch outwardly to its latching position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tubular leg suitably slotted, so that the latch bar can be mounted directly therein and so that the walls of the slot will function as a guide for the latch bar during its swinging movement.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a novel supporting bracket for pivotally carrying the leg, the bracket functioning as a guide for the leg, a keeper for the latch bar and a wear plate against which the latch bar slides during the opening and closing of the leg.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a leg mounting of the above character, which will be durable and eiiicient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture, one which can be incorporated with a table top at a low cost and one which can be easily actuated by the user of the table.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table equipped with our improved leg mounting.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a table embodying our invention, the view showing the legs in their collapsed folded position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail vertical sectional view through the table taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view showing a leg in its collapsed position in full lines and in its partially and full open position in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, taken on a larger scale than Figure 2, showing the improved leg mounting.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the leg mounting, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts through out the several views, the letter T generally indicates a table provided with our improved mounting or fixtures F for theswinging legs 10 of the table.

The table T can be of any desired type or character best suited for the purpose intended, and in the drawing, we have shown a substantially ordinary card table. As illustrated, the table T includes a top 11 having a dependingmarginal skirt 12. Thelegs 10 are hingedly carried by the lower surface of the table by means of our fixtures F. In their collapsed position, thelegs 10 extend diagonally inward across the table top from the corner of the table, and in their open position diverge outwardly at an angle to the vertical to form a wide spreading, stable base.

Thelegs 10 are preferably formed from lengths of tubing and the inner ends of the legs are provided with longitudinally extending slots 13 which open out through the outer faces of the legs. The inner ends of these slots are enlarged, as at 14.

All of the leg mountings or fixtures F are identical, and hence only one will be described in detail. Each leg fixture or mounting F includes a supportingbracket 15 of a substantially U-shape in cross-section and hence the racket includes a top attaching andwear plate 16, and spaced parallel dependingside walls 17. The bracket is rigidly secured by wood screws 13 to afastening brace block 19, which extends diagonally across the corner of the table top. Each brace block is secured to the lower surface of the table top in any desired way, such as by fastening elements, or by the use of a desired type adhesive. The outer edge of thetop plate 16 of the supportingbracket 15 is provided with an angularly extendingkeeper flange 20, for a purpose, which will later appear, and it is to be noted that thebrace block 19 beyond the keeper flange 2!) is provided with agroove 21.

Securely welded, or otherwise fastened to the extreme inner end of eachleg 10 is ahinge bracket 22 and this hinge bracket is also of a U-shape in cross section. Thus, eachhinge bracket 22 includes atop wall 23 andside walls 24. Thehinge bracket 22 is snugly received between thewalls 17 of the supportingbracket 15 andpivots 25 connecting thewalls 24 of thehinge bracket 22 with thewalls 17 of the supportingbracket 15. The mounting is such that a friction fit is had between thewalls 24 and 17, so that when a leg is swung to its collapsed position under the table top, the same will be held in such position by the frictional contact of thewalls 24 and 17.

Mounted directly in the inner end of eachleg 10 is the combined latch andbrace bar 26. Apivot pin 27 is employed for hingedly connecting the inner end of the latch andbrace bar 26 to itsleg 10, and the latch and brace bar is normally held within the leg by means of acoil spring 28. The opposite ends of the spring bear respectively against the outer edge of the latch andbrace bar 26 and the outer face of theleg 10. The brace andlatch bar 26 extends a material distance beyond the inner end of its leg and is provided with akeeper notch 29, which is adapted to receive thekeeper flange 20, as will now appear.

As best shown in Figure 3, the latch andbrace bar 26 extends longitudinally of its leg and is normally housed within the leg, with the exception of the extreme outer end thereof. The inner end of the slot 13 is widened as at 14, in order to facilitate the assembling of the spring with thepivot pin 27 and the latch bar and the outer end of the slot has a width substantially equal to the width of the brace and latch bar so that the walls of the slot will form a guide therefor. Considering that aleg 10 is in its collapsed position, as shown in full lines in Figure 3, with the spring holding the latch and brace bar in longitudinal alignment with its leg, then upon opening movement of the leg outwardly, the latch bar will bear against thewear plate 16 of the supportingbracket 15 and upon continuing opening movement of the leg, the latch bar will be gradually swung outward of the leg to an inclined position relative to the leg, and until the edge of the latch bar rides over thekeeper flange 20, at which time the flange Will ride into the keeper notch 29 (see dotted lines in Figure 3). Thespring 28 also functions to hold the latch bar in this latched position, and it can be seen that the latch and brace bar extends upwardly and outwardly from the leg toward the skirt of the table and that the bar not only functions to latch the leg in its open position but to also brace the leg and to effectively withstand strains upon the table top.

In order to close the leg, it is merely necessary to place the hand under the corner of the table and momentarily pull out on the latch andbrace bar 26 until the latch bar is away from the keeper flange and at this time, the leg can be swung inwardly to its collapsed position with the latch and brace bar riding on thewear plate 16 of the supporting bracket.

Various changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what we claim as new is:

1. A fixture for mounting collapsible legs of a table to a top comprising a supporting bracket of a substantially U- shape in cross-section including an attaching and wear plate, spaced parallel side walls on the plate and an angularly extending keeper flange on the outer edge of said plate, a table leg having a longitudinally extending slot opening out through the outer face thereof and the inner end thereof, a hinge bracket rigidly secured to the inner end of said leg and disposed between the side Walls of the supporting bracket, means hingedly connecting the hinge bracket to the side walls of the supporting bracket, a combined latch and brace bar normally received within the slot of said leg and extending longitudinally of said leg with the extreme outer end of the bar extending beyond the leg and slot, means hingedly connecting the inner end of the bar to the leg, spring means normally holding the bar within the leg, the outer end of the latch bar bearing against the wear and attaching plate upon opening movement of the leg to move the bar outwardly of the leg and angularly relative thereto, the inner edge of said bar adjacent to its outer end being provided with a keeper notch for receiving the keeper flange when the leg is opened to its full extent, said spring functioning to hold the bar in contact with the keeper flange.

2. In a table having a top and legs hingedly connected therewith for folding inwardly against said top when in their collapsed position and outwardly to an open posi' tion beyond the vertical to form a wide spreading base and a fixture for supporting each leg including a supporting bracket securely fastened to the under surface of the table top including an attaching and wear wall having an angularly extending keeper fiange on its outer edge and spaced parallel depending walls on its side edges, a hinge bracket securely fastened to the inner end of its leg, means pivotally securing the hinge bracket to the side walls, said leg being of a hollow construction and having a longitudinally extending slot on its outer face, a combined latch and brace bar received in said leg through said slot, means pivotally securing the inner end of the bar to said leg, spring means normally holding the latch bar within said leg and in longitudinal alignment therewith, the extreme outer end of said latch bar extending beyond the leg and having a keeper notch on its inner edge, said outer end of the latch bar engaging the attaching and wear wall upon opening movement of the leg to swing the latch bar out of said leg and at an angle thereto and over the keeper flange for positioning said keeper flange in said keeper notch, and said leg being of a tubular construction and said spring being coiled about the pivot for said bar and having its opposite ends engage respectively the bar and the outer face of the leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,596,753 Moore Aug. 17, 1926 1,606,956 Murphy Nov. 16, 1926 1,902,690 Corporon Mar. 21, 1933 1,905,862 Harman Apr. 25, 1933 1,995,260 Flint Mar. 19, 1935 2,432,266 Wilkinson Dec. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,203 Great Britain 1912 361,783 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1931 412,220 Great Britain Iune 27, 1934 423,034 Great Britain Jan. 17, 1935 474,012 Great Britain Oct. 25, 1937 501,459 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1939

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